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Feminist Efforts to Engender Paradigms of Development in Jamaica

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Feminist Efforts to Engender Paradigms of Development in Jamaica Persistent Voices: Feminist Efforts to Engender Paradigms of Development in Jamaica Suzanne Judith Lenon, B.A- Honours A thesis subrnitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fiilfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario December 16 Ocopyright 1998, Suzanne J. Lenon National Library Bibliothèque nationale of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre refhncrr Our hi8 Notre refhence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive licencr allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distriiute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfichei£h, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othenvise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation- This piece of research focuses on feminist contributions to meanings of development in Jamaica. Specifically it examines the various strategies and forms of feminist activism employed to engender both a dominant and a transfomative paradigm. 1 argue that the embrace of neoliberalism by the Jamaican state imposes a conservatizing force upon femuiist strategies and si-gificantiy shapes such activisrn within both paradigms. The terrain of social action is generally limited within such a political economy. Hence there is a de-politicizing of strategies to achieve gender equality within the dominant paradigm, and rnarginalization of cultural forms of expression in the transformativc paradigm. The neo-liberal political economy Merexacerbates and heightens unequal social relations among women based on race and class by limiting ability to participate, and by creating conditions in which these unequal relations are themselves reproduced by those working for a liberatory agenda. iii For SheZagh and Thomas Dearest... My life may seem rough and bare? but there is something to compensate one for every- hardship and trial. You must corne to see me! though, for it is the spirit of the West that charms one, and 1 can't convey it to you, try as 1rnay. It is a shy wi1d spirit and will not Ieave its native mountains and rolling prairies and_though I try to get it into my letters. 1 can't. 1 must warn you that if it once charms you it becomes an obsession and one grows very Lonely away from it. No Westemer who has felt its fascination ever is really content again in the conventional East. Mary E. Inderwïck Pincher Creek, Alberta 1884 ACKNO WLEDGEMENTS The writing of this thesis was far from being the linear process a table of contents suggests. For guiding me through the twists and turns of thesis writing' I would like to my thank my supervisor: Daiva Stasiuiis, for her critical thought? sound feedback, patience and support. 1also thank Kevin Murchie, my advisor, for his informed reflections and cornments, and for sharing so generously and enthusiasticaliy his knowledge about people and events in Jarnaica and the Caribbem. 1would like to acknowledge the Graduate Studies Research Fund for a travel gant which enabled a research trip to Jarnaica. In Jarnaica, 1would like to thank the women I interviewed for taking the theto meet with me and for imparting knowledge in both a generous and critical manner. 1extend warm thanks to Sandra and Kevin Cooper for the warrnth of your welcome, great food, and for your generosity irr dl aspects of my stay with you. A special thank you to Melody Walker for responding to my information requests and for Eendship and humour. In The Shoemaker and the Elves, the Brothers Grimm recount the tale of two benevolent elves who secretly toi1 at night to help a shoemaker through hard times. Even after the elves have danced their way out of the workshop, their magic remaïns to help the shoemaker and his wi5e ont0 a richer and more cornfortable life. Although no elves worked on rny thesis while 1 slept. family and many fiiends did nourish my mind and soul throughout the two yean of this project, and weave their magic to enrich my life in countless ways. In particular, I offer great thanks to my Morn and Dad, for words of encouragement, generous material and financial support, and for leading lives cornmitted to social justice; to Natasha Lenon, for re-kindled sisterhood and for your courage; to André Fontaine. for dishes washed groceries bought and most important, for your blessed fiiendship and walking with me in times of change; and to Franca Gucciardi, a cornrnitted feminïst, fiend e mia sorella neZZu lutta: you handled my joys, grief and stresses of thesis wTiting with clarity, humour and wisdom - Grnie, SF. 1 dedicate this thesis to SheIagh Lenon and Thomas Elbel, my sister and brother-in- law, whose unconditional and steadfast love, support, and encouragement propelled me fonvard. A huge, huge th& you for emotional sustenance, the You Go GN%I tape, arornatherapy massages, laughter, the AIS, and for following your dreams! Table of Contents Page Acceptance Dedication Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of Tables Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Feminist Research Practice 2.1 Epistemological Frarnework 2.2 Methodological Framework 2.2.2 Positionality 3-22 Subjectivity 2.2.3 Qualitative Methods 2.2.4 Action-oriented Research 3.3 The Research Design 2.3.1 Getting Started: Inception of the Study 2.3 2 Gearing Up For Data Gathering 2.3.3 Gathering Data 2.3.4 Preparing for and Doing Andysis 2.4 Conclusion Chapter Three: Elements of Dominant and Transformative Paradigms of Development 3.1 The Neoliberal Paradigm and the Politics of Development 3.1.1 The National Industrial Policy 3 - 1.2 International Competirion 3.1.3 Reduced Role of State 3.1.4 Social Policy 3 2 Contours of a Transformative Paradign 3 -2.1 Bnef Historicai Overview 3 -2.2 Contemporary Transformatory Meanings 3 -3 Conclusion Chapter Four: Feminist Engagements with Development: The Theoretical Contributions 4.1 Theories of Women. Gender and Development: An Historicai Background 4.2 Overview of Women in Development Theory 4.2.1 Application of WID in the Caribbean context 4.3 OveMew of Gender and Developrnent Theory 4.3. I Application of GAD in the Caribbean contexq 4.4 Conclusion Chapter Five: A Web of Complexity: Social Relations among Women 5-1 Correfations of Race and Class 5.2 Household-Domestic 5.3 Domestic-National 5.4 Transnational-Enclave 5.5 Conclusion Chapter SU;: Engendering the Dominant Paradigm: The Consultative Group on Gender and The Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation Mainstreaming Gender: The Historical Antecedents 6.1.1 Antecedents: The role of women's pressure groups 6-12 Institutional Antecedents Mainstreamuig Gender ïnto Economic Policy: The Consultative Group on Gender 6.2.1 Gains achieved in Mainstreaming 6.2.2 Limitations of Mainstreaming Engendering Social Welfare: The Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation 6.3.1 Gains of the WCJF 6.3 -2 Limitations Limited Room for an oeuvre: Feminist Agency to Engender the Dominant Paradigm 6.4.1 Neo-Liberal Hegemony 6.4.2 Social Relations of Power: Class and Race Conclusion vii Chapter Seven: Feminist Visions in a Transformative Paradigm: The Sistren Theatre Collective 7.1 Sistren Theatre Collective 7.2 Engendenng the Transformative Paradigm 7.2.1 Contributions 7.3 Marginalization and Commodification: Constraints of a Neo-liberai Context 7.4 Social Relations of Power: Sistren as a Cataiyst of Change 7.5 Conclusion Chapter Eight: Conclusion Bibliography Appendix A: Research Project Proposal: Submission to the Carleton Ethics Comrnittee Appendix B: Announcement used for Recruiting Interview Participants Appendix C: List of Interview Participants Appendix D: Interview Questionnaire Appendix E: Consent Forms viii List of TabIes Page Table One SaIient hdicators of Neo-liberalism 46 Table Two Themes of a Caribbean Transfomative Paradigm 62 Table Three Cornparison of Women in Development and Gender and Development Theoretical Frameworks 73 Table Four Employed Labour Force by Industry Group and Gender 97 Chapter One: Introduction Feminist activism and scholarship in the field of international development emerged in a contest of social struggle and agitation in both the North and the South. Guided by assumptions of solidarity and sisterhood. this activism and scholarship were bom out of an urgency to develop solutions to the problems of survival faced by women in the Thhd World. To this end. feminist acadernic and political practices have been the frst to point out the gender impacts of national and international development policies on local political, economic and social structures. Linking macro-econornics to experiences at the micro level of households, feminist practices attempt to integrate the personai and the political- private and public domains, the household and local and global economies, thereby articulating and re-conceptualizing definitions and meanings of development Indeed, the myriad of feminist engagements with the field of development studies has effectively questioned the ideology and paradi-m of Western modemization and its utility for the political. econorric and social ernpowerment of wornen. A diverse women's movement in the English-speaking Caribbean exemplifies feminist efforts to re-conceptualize development in the region and theîr oua particular countries. Here, ferninist voices are anchored in historical and current political econornic reaiities of this region.
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